Birds of a Feather
by WordBirdNerd
Summary: Teveauce the wandering bard and Neriri the War Warlock offer to find a missing person, but this situation is not what it seems, and will force them to question what they believe...
1. Chapter 1

_In the darkness I saw the torches long before anything else, first as two balls of fire in the distance, then the structures that held them, three or four yalms high, and only then the building behind them. The small figure sitting against the wall I noticed only when it looked up from its book, startled, and looked around._

 _It—she—dropped the book, stood up and said, "What do you want?"_

 _"I am injured."_

 _She laughed. "Some nerve, picking a fight at this hour and then coming here!"_

 _"I did not pick a fight."_

 _"You were provoked. Right. Get out."_

 _I took a step back. Another fight was out of the question. I didn't know where else to go. "I did not attack anyone."_

 _"I asked you to leave," she said, calmly but forcefully. A threat._

 _I had not thought myself capable of running in that condition, but I turned and ran._

Teveauce plucked each string of his harp in turn and dropped his tuning fork back in his bag, satisfied. He held the harp in one hand and pushed the door of the Timbre Timbers open with the other. The atmosphere washed over him like a wave: the rich smell of stew, the homey Windurstian lamplight, the soft tones of another harp and the singing in the distinctive range of a tarutaru. The Canticle of Carbuncle. He wondered why he hadn't come to Windurst for so long.

He let the door close behind him, leaned against a wall, held up his harp and waited, savoring the moment. As the other bard began the last chorus, Teveauce joined in. His voice carried satisfyingly across the room and people turned to look. When the song ended he grinned and bowed, and then walked confidently up to the little stage. The bard eyed him but said nothing, just took a long drink from a flask. Teveauce sat on the edge and waited.

The mithra at the nearest table was looking at him, but he had no idea whether she approved or not. Typical aloof mithra. Her tarutaru friend looked entertained if nothing else. He grinned at them.

"Are you from San d'Oria?" the mithra asked him. She had long red hair in a tail and was wearing soft leather, and Teveauce supposed she was tall for a mithra.

"I am," he said without thinking, even though he wasn't.

"We were just talking about it," she said, still unreadable.

"I guess you could say that," said the tarutaru, and folded her hands in her lap. She wore her tunic with the hood down casually. Her hair was shorter and looked black in the dim light, but being a tarutaru it was probably dark gray or blue or brown. "I was telling her about someone I used to know."

"A boyfriend," said the mithra teasingly, drawing out the word, purring. "A knight in shining armor."

The other woman kept her composure. "Yes. Briefly. He wanted us to visit San d'Oria together, but I was a Combat Caster when the war broke out, and... Well. By the time it was over I considered that a silver lining." So she was older. It was hard to tell with tarutaru. Teveauce wondered how she knew the younger-looking mithra.

"That's always how it goes, eh? But it's fun while it lasts." She looked at Teveauce appraisingly. "Play a San d'Orian song."

The only one he could think of was that Old Elvaan one he didn't know the words to, but no one knew the words anyway, right? No, this was Windurst, they probably learned Old Elvaan in those schools. Or for the hell of it, for all he knew. He'd have a better shot just picking something that sounded San d'Orian. He lifted his harp and played the opening bars of "Blessed in Her Glorious Light."

"I guess he doesn't take requests," said the tarutaru, with the smug amusement of an annoying tarutaru. Teveauce suddenly remembered why he hadn't come to Windurst for so long.

He decided he would rather they think him rude than a liar. He stopped playing and said, "Maybe if you tip me."

He heard the door open and turned to look as the mithra let out a "Hah!" He recognized the hume walking in. What was his name? Something Far Eastern. Ryota?

"What'd I tell you?" said the mithra, and they both laughed. Teveauce realized with a jolt that the man was walking towards him. He didn't think he owed him money or anything, but he didn't want anyone he knew to walk in and see two women laughing at him.

"Tev?"

Teveauce waved to him and took a deep breath. Not a problem. An opportunity. He leaned back and grinned. "Are you here to buy the antique money? Or are you looking for an expert goldsmith?"

He looked at the table, then back at Teveauce, and said quietly, "No, I'm looking for help. I was supposed to meet an old friend today and she never showed up. Something must have happened. This isn't like her."

That sounded dangerous to Teveauce, but he could tell him that later, after he heard the details. "Of course I'll help." He stood up and nodded to the women. "Care to join us?"

"Tempting as it is, I'm afraid I have plans," said the mithra, putting her satchel on the table, and held it open and looked through it as if to say the conversation was over.

The tarutaru looked over the empty plates and the pile of coins on the table. "I should at least hear what he has to say. I am still a War Warlock." She looked back at Ryota and sipped her tea. Problem solved, Teveauce thought.

"It's—it's not that important, really. I'm sure she just—forgot, or got lost, or..."

"I'm here already, I might as well hear what happened. When did you last hear from her?"

He answered slowly and thoughtfully, even though he looked worried. "Yesterday. She said she was traveling with a—a traders' caravan and had made it safely to Sarutabaruta. She said she would see some family that day and me the next. We agreed to meet at noon at Starfall Hillock. It's on the map. In the morning she wasn't on the linkshell, and at twelve-o'-clock she wasn't there." He shook his head. "She's probably still with her family, that's all. It's easy to lose a linkpearl. Tev and I will go ask them."

"You can certainly come," said Teveauce. "If it's nothing, it won't take long, and if it's not..."

In between long sips of tea, she said, "Exactly," and then put the teacup down.

"It is nothing. You don't think you can handle it, Tev?"

"Hey, you said something could have happened to her. I said a lot of things, but I never said I knew how to fight." Teveauce carefully tucked his harp into its case, as if to emphasize the point.

"Oh. Then I suppose..." He sighed, and it was a few moments before he spoke again. "Never mind. Let's go."

The War Warlock grabbed her bag, hopped out of the chair and went straight to the door. Ryota looked at Teveauce and then followed her. He looked no less worried than he had when he walked in. Teveauce considered letting them go, but decided that would just make things worse. As he turned to leave, he heard the other bard starting to play the same song Teveauce couldn't remember the words to. He had been sitting there the whole time and Teveauce had completely forgotten. Teveauce felt hot with anger and embarrassment. He walked out like he had something important to do, trying not to show it. When she opened the door Teveauce could see that it was starting to get dark, but it was no cooler outside than it was inside.

"Where does her family live?" she asked as the door closed behind them.

"I... don't know. I was hoping Tev did." Ryota gave him a look.

"I might. Who is this?" Teveauce swatted a small bug, smaller than his finger, and stepped to the right, out of the way of the door.

Ryota hesitated. "Her name is Raa Palma."

Teveauce shrugged. "Never met her."

The tarutaru sighed. "Let's check the route from here to Starfall and the area around it, then. Or from Woods to Starfall?" She looked at Ryota.

He shook his head. "I don't know."

"It'll have to be both, then." She turned and headed for the gate. She was surprisingly fast for her size.

Teveauce followed her with big, easy strides. "What's your name, anyway?"

"Neriri." She didn't turn around, but she didn't sound annoyed, just businesslike.

Teveauce followed her out the gate and north to the hill. He wasn't sure exactly what they were looking for, but he didn't see anything. By the time they got to the hill the moon was rising to the east, about half full and white that day.

He walked slowly around the hill trying to look useful, until Neriri said, "I'll ask at the outpost." Teveauce followed her, and so did Ryota, down the hill to the building and around its side.

The tarutaru on watch looked up as they approached and said "Neriri?"

"Missing person," said Neriri. "Got lost or attacked out here. Her name is Raa Palma." She looked back at Ryota, several paces behind her, motioned for him to come and said, "Tell her what she looks like."

Ryota took a few steps forward and hesitated. "She's... short. Shorter than me, I mean. Not shorter than you. You know what I mean."

"What color hair?" Neriri prompted.

Ryota looked down at his feet. "Dark, I guess."

"Any idea what she was wearing?"

He shook his head. "I haven't seen her in a long time."

"All right. I don't think I've seen her, but I'll keep an eye out," said the tarutaru. "Take it easy, you hear me?"

Ryota nodded, then suddenly looked up and to the left, past the torch and the fence, out at the grassland. Teveauce followed his gaze and saw something dark on the ground.

Ryota walked out and reached down, picking something up. Looking over his shoulder at them, he said, "This is hers. It must be. She was here."

Neriri ran toward him. "Let me see."

"I really—it's—almost certainly hers. This symbol..." He made no move to show it to her, whatever it was.

"And is it damaged? Bloodied? What is it?"

Ryota nodded grimly.


	2. Chapter 2

Neriri hardly waited for a response. "There's no way she was actually here. Even if it were in good condition, no one could make it to the outpost and then get lost between here and Starfall, and there was no sign of anything up there. If it's light, it may have blown in the wind. If it has some weight, it may have been thrown."

For a moment Ryota was silent. Finally, he said, "It's light."

"Either way, let's look around here." She turned back to the outpost. "Give us a lantern."

The War Warlock stationed at the outpost pushed the loose lid off of a crate and took out a little metal lantern. Neriri went to take it as the guard lit it with a spell.

"Stay close to me," Neriri said. "Whatever attacked her could still be around." She looked at Teveauce. Night had fallen, and the thought of whatever attacked Raa Palma made Teveauce nervous, but so did the thought of walking back alone. If he stayed at the outpost he might be there all night. He moved to follow Neriri, and she set off at a brisk pace.

Long moments passed as they walked around the darkened plains. It was a warm, humid summer night, not a scary-story sort of night at all, but Teveauce had heard enough stories of yagudo attacking travelers not to put any faith in the treaty the Windurstians were so proud of, especially out here near their nest.

It felt like an hour to Teveauce, although he thought it was actually less, before Neriri said, "Look!" Teveauce hadn't been paying attention, but once she spoke, he could immediately look over her head at the cone of lantern light. There was something scratched in the dry earth. Teveauce guessed they were letters, or runes, but not ones he was familiar with.

"Yes!" Ryota whispered, then, soberly, "Tower, east."

"Tower east? It's unlikely that there's someone else who knows these symbols lost out here without a linkpearl, but... I can't imagine why she would leave that message. We're straight north of the outpost. How could she find herself here without noticing the building or the hillock? And why _tower east_? Disappearing, and then leaving completely different directions in a patch of dirt in the grass? It's the sort of thing you'd expect from smugglers, or spies." She turned and studied Ryota's face. "But Rose Tower is guarded around the clock. It'd have to be code for something else."

He looked guilelessly crestfallen. "I've known her for so long. I trust her with my life."

She shook her head and smiled apologetically.

Ryota closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and began, slowly, with a note of resignation, "I don't know how many towers there are here, or where. I didn't know they were guarded. She hasn't been in this part of the world since she was a child. She arrived here yesterday. I don't think she knows where the east tower is. I think she means she went east of a tower."

Neriri frowned. "Hmmm. East of the nearby tower would be the city gate, or perhaps the pass? No—we're near the northwest tower. We are roughly east of it." She put down the lantern and, without looking, drew from her bag a nice scroll case. She pulled a scroll out of it and stuck the empty case in the bag. As she held it in front of the light, Teveauce could see that it was a map. With a sudden motion, Ryota leaned down to look at it.

Neriri studied the map briefly and then put a hand to her ear, letting the parchment snap back. Ryota's gaze went to her.

"Possible suspicious activity in the West Sarutabaruta area. Watch at Odin's and Shiva's—Odin's and Shiva's—one person from each, see if there's anything funny due east of the towers. Due east. I'm going east of Amaryllis. All units, report any mysterious writing or other unusual activity."

Ryota watched with an expression of growing horror. Teveauce thought what a great story it would be, if this woman really was a spy and her friends had no idea for years! That would make this whole mess more than worthwhile.

"This investigation will likely be long, and possibly dangerous. I can take you two to the outpost if you want."

Ryota immediately shook his head.

"Nah," Teveauce said, with a grin and a wave of his hand. "I'll be fine. I've survived my share of scrapes." That wasn't even a lie.

He saw her roll her eyes a little, but she only said, "Very well, then. Let's go."

Neriri followed the cliffs north and east, sweeping the lantern's light methodically over the ground, periodically checking her map. Teveauce imagined what a smugglers' den might be like. Code names? Secret passwords? Shady characters yelling at each other over card games played on top of crates? He vaguely remembered hearing a story in which a hall floor was covered with sand because the secret organization was so paranoid about invisible infiltrators following its members through doors. He remembered telling it to someone else and being told that the sand would get everywhere and that no one got into anywhere worth sneaking into just by following people through doors. He acknowledged that anyone trying that would probably get caught, but what if, one day, someone didn't? Why take the chance, right? Maybe now he would learn the truth!

Before he knew it, they had reached the pass, uneventfully. The pass itself was guarded. Neriri gave a Windurstian salute and asked the tarutaru there if a short mithra with dark hair had come through.

The War Warlock shook his head. "Nope."

"All right. More likely it was last shift, or the one before."

Ryota sighed. "I didn't know this place was guarded either. I—I doubt she went this way. I mean—if she is a spy, or a smuggler..." His voice was quiet. "If she came this way, I'd bet anything she saw the guard and turned around. I think she's avoiding the path, so... if she left that message north of the path, then went east north of the path, then came here and turned around..." He shook his head. "Let me see the map."

She turned to face him, put the lantern down, and held the map open over the ground in front of it. Her eyes flickered from the map to his face.

He knelt to look. "She didn't go back to the hill. That's where she'd expect me to go, but there was nothing there. She must have gone south along the cliffs. There's no other way."

Neriri sighed. "This feels like a wild rarab chase, but continuing east would be no better. I can't ask someone else to come out here at this hour over something like this. Leaving a post vacant would only exacerbate the problem. Let's go south, quickly." She let the map curl and stood up. "Most likely she's long back in Windurst. Tomorrow I can ask the early gate watch if they saw anyone fitting her description."

Teveauce's excitement waned as they followed the cliffs south. There would be no smugglers' den, not that night, and he doubted he was invited on any subsequent trips. Even if somehow he were, he suspected they would be just as boring.

A smaller pass ran south between the cliffs proper and a great rock. Neriri gave its rocky ground only a cursory inspection, almost missing a dead yagudo around a slight corner.

"Raa?!" Ryota called, with sudden worry.

Neriri stopped and swung the lantern around wildly, making the walls cycle between light and darkness, like the flashing light in the maze of folding screens at the Harvest Festival in Windurst three years before. Teveauce had loved it at the time, but now the suddenness unnerved him.

As the light passed over the yagudo, he saw it jerking, rousing. A jolt ran through him, and he jumped back. Ryota, instead, ran toward it.

Neriri abruptly dropped the map and lantern, which clattered on the rock and made the cone of light shake, and held her hands out, as if to cast some spell.

"You," the yagudo breathed.


End file.
